Pierre Georges (21 January 1919 – 27 December 1944), better known as ''Colonel Fabien'', was one of the two members of the
French Communist Party
The French Communist Party (french: Parti communiste français, ''PCF'' ; ) is a political party in France which advocates the principles of communism. The PCF is a member of the Party of the European Left, and its MEPs sit in the European Unit ...
who perpetrated the first
assassination
Assassination is the murder of a prominent or important person, such as a head of state, head of government, politician, world leader, member of a royal family or CEO. The murder of a celebrity, activist, or artist, though they may not have ...
s of German personnel during the Occupation of France during the
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
.
Life
Pierre Georges was born to a baker's family on 21 January 1919 in Paris. He fought for the
Republican
Republican can refer to:
Political ideology
* An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law.
** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...
side during the
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil War ( es, Guerra Civil Española)) or The Revolution ( es, La Revolución, link=no) among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War ( es, Cuarta Guerra Carlista, link=no) among Carlists, and The Rebellion ( es, La Rebelión, lin ...
until the end of the
International Brigades
The International Brigades ( es, Brigadas Internacionales) were military units set up by the Communist International to assist the Popular Front government of the Second Spanish Republic during the Spanish Civil War. The organization existed f ...
in 1939. In 1940, Georges joined the
French Resistance
The French Resistance (french: La Résistance) was a collection of organisations that fought the German occupation of France during World War II, Nazi occupation of France and the Collaborationism, collaborationist Vichy France, Vichy régim ...
in the
Francs-Tireurs et Partisans
The ''Francs-tireurs et partisans français'' (FTPF), or commonly the ''Francs-tireurs et partisans'' (FTP), was an armed resistance organization created by leaders of the French Communist Party during World War II (1939–45). The communist par ...
, at the time still largely operating by
sabotaging
Sabotage is a deliberate action aimed at weakening a polity, effort, or organization through subversion, obstruction, disruption, or destruction. One who engages in sabotage is a ''saboteur''. Saboteurs typically try to conceal their identitie ...
German equipment in France.
On 2 August 1941
Albert Ouzoulias met
Danielle Casanova
Danielle Casanova (born Vincentella Perini; 9 January 1909 – 9 May 1943) was a French communist activist and member of the French Resistance during World War II. A dentist by occupation, she was a high-ranking figure within the Communist Yout ...
in
Montparnasse
Montparnasse () is an area in the south of Paris, France, on the left bank of the river Seine, centred at the crossroads of the Boulevard du Montparnasse and the Rue de Rennes, between the Rue de Rennes and boulevard Raspail. Montparnasse has bee ...
and was put in charge of the ''Bataillons de la Jeunesse'', fighting groups that were being created by the ''
Jeunesses Communistes'' (Young Communists or "JC"). He took the name of "Colonel Andre". Pierre Georges was made his second-in-command. The JC were mainly involved in propaganda, publishing tracts and clandestine newspapers, with minimal armed action. At a session in 15–17 August it was agreed that members of the JC should receive weapons training and should increase sabotage and attacks on occupation troops. There was some resistance, but with news of the execution of
Samuel Tyszelman
Samuel Tyszelman (born Szmul Cecel Tyszelman; 21 January 1921 – 19 August 1941) was a Jewish Polish communist who was a member of the French Resistance during World War II (1939-1945). He and amother man were arrested and executed for taking par ...
and Henri Gautherot it was agreed to take a more active role. Of the JC leaders, Georges became primarily involved in military operations in the Paris region, while Ouzoulias was more concerned with recruitment and liaison between the regions.
On 21 August 1941 Pierre Georges, who then went by the name of Frédo, and his companion Gilbert Brustlein, helped by two other members of the
French Resistance
The French Resistance (french: La Résistance) was a collection of organisations that fought the German occupation of France during World War II, Nazi occupation of France and the Collaborationism, collaborationist Vichy France, Vichy régim ...
shot and killed a German soldier named Alfons Moser when he was boarding a train at the
Barbès station at eight in the morning. The killing was in revenge for the execution of Samuel Tyszelman for taking part in an anti-German demonstration. This was the start of a series of assassinations and reprisals that resulted in five hundred French hostages being executed in the next few months. In 1943, Georges was captured and tortured but escaped.
Five days after the surrender of Paris Albert Ouzoulias ("Colonel André") of the national committee of ''
Francs-tireurs et partisans français'' (FTPF) called a meeting at which Pierre Georges ("Colonel Fabien") was assigned the task of forming a battalion of resistance fighters. Colonel Fabien organized a
Free French
Free France (french: France Libre) was a political entity that claimed to be the legitimate government of France following the dissolution of the Third Republic. Led by French general , Free France was established as a government-in-exile ...
(FFI:'' Forces Françaises de l'Intérieur'') column that left Paris soon after the uprising in that city early in September 1944. The ''
Colonne Fabien'' was to form the nucleus of a Free French force in
Lorraine
Lorraine , also , , ; Lorrain: ''Louréne''; Lorraine Franconian: ''Lottringe''; german: Lothringen ; lb, Loutrengen; nl, Lotharingen is a cultural and historical region in Northeastern France, now located in the administrative region of Gr ...
, which would be joined by volunteers from Paris and the eastern regions of France as soon as possible. The French state would have to accept the fait accompli of the Free French army fighting on the front, which would become a "great people's army".
Colonel Fabien was killed in a mine explosion at
Habsheim
Habsheim is a commune in the Haut-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France. It forms part of the Mulhouse Alsace Agglomération, the inter-communal local government body for the Mulhouse conurbation.
History
The Thalbahn Habsheim was ...
, on the Alsace front, on 27 December 1944. Two other leaders died at the same time. This gave rise to various conspiracy rumors.
Honours
![Plaque Colonel Fabien, 34 rue Gandon, Paris 13](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5b/Plaque_Colonel_Fabien%2C_34_rue_Gandon%2C_Paris_13.jpg)
*The former ''Place du Combat'' in
Paris
Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...
was renamed ''
Place du Colonel Fabien
The Place du Colonel Fabien (in English: "Colonel Fabien Square") is a square in Paris, France.
Before the liberation of Paris, the square was called the ''Place du Combat'', but it was renamed in honour of the French communist resistance hero, ...
'' in honour of Pierre Georges.
*The
Paris Métro
The Paris Métro (french: Métro de Paris ; short for Métropolitain ) is a rapid transit system in the Paris metropolitan area, France. A symbol of the Paris, city, it is known for its density within the capital's territorial limits, uniform ar ...
station ''Combat'' was also renamed ''
Colonel Fabien
Pierre Georges (21 January 1919 – 27 December 1944), better known as ''Colonel Fabien'', was one of the two members of the French Communist Party who perpetrated the first assassinations of German personnel during the Occupation of France durin ...
.''
*The
French Communist Party
The French Communist Party (french: Parti communiste français, ''PCF'' ; ) is a political party in France which advocates the principles of communism. The PCF is a member of the Party of the European Left, and its MEPs sit in the European Unit ...
headquarters, located at the Place du Colonel Fabien, is often so called.
Likewise, many streets in towns with communist mayors are named ''Colonel Fabien''.
References
Sources
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Georges, Pierre
1919 births
1944 deaths
Politicians from Paris
French people of the Spanish Civil War
Burials at Père Lachaise Cemetery
Communist members of the French Resistance
International Brigades personnel
French Army personnel of World War II
French military personnel killed in World War II
French Anti-Francoists